1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to storm shutters for protecting homes, buildings and other structures from wind and storm related damage, and more particularly to a light transmitting storm shutter assembly that provides sufficient resistance to hurricane force winds and impact from windborne debris while allowing light transmittance into the protected structure.
2. Description of the Background Art
The United States has experienced 44 weather-related disasters in the past 20 years, each of which has caused in excess of $1 billion in damages. Of these 44 disasters, 38 occurred between 1988 and 1998 causing in excess of $170 billion in damage.
Population growth along the coastline of the United States has resulted in an increased risk to life and property from hurricane related damage. There are approximately 36 million permanent residents along the hurricane-prone coastline of the United States, with areas such as Texas, Florida, and the Carolinas, where hurricanes frequently strike, experiencing rapid population growth. In addition, many coastal areas experience substantial but temporary population increases from holiday, weekend, and vacation visitors during hurricane season.
Homes, buildings and other structures, suffer substantial damage when storm generated winds, and particularly windborne debris, penetrate the structures through window and door openings. Hurricane shutters have long been used as barriers to protect window and door openings from the effects of storm generated winds. Equipping homes and other buildings with hurricane protection in the form of storm shutters is one of the most prudent actions one can take to protect life and property.
Accordingly, the background art reveals a number of storm shutters designed for removable installation on homes and buildings. Conventional storm shutters typically consist of corrugated metal panels affixed to the outside of a given structure. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,878,536, issued to Becker, discloses a shutter structure having overlapping corrugated panels. U.S. Pat. No. 4,333,271, issued to DePaolo et al., discloses a hurricane panel system for covering windows and doors. The '271 patent discloses a plurality of corrugated metal panels arranged in overlapping relationship to provide a protective structure. U.S. Pat. No. 5,345,716, issued to Caplan, discloses a storm shutter system comprising a combination of individual, interlocking modular elements. U.S. Pat. No. 5,852,903, issued to Astrizky, discloses a hurricane shutter comprising a pair of normally open doors that are swingable to a closed position. U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,660, issued to Watson, discloses a storm panel comprising a plurality of interlocking tiles interlocked together by a plurality of dovetail joints.
A significant disadvantage with conventional storm shutter panels is that installation of the panels over all of the window openings prevents light from entering the structure. Accordingly, if power is lost, as often happens during severe storms, the occupants of the structure find themselves in total darkness. Thus, a number of references disclosed in the background art reveal attempts to provide storm shutters that provide sufficient impact resistance while allowing light to enter to building.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,430, issued to Rowland, discloses a removable storm shield comprising convex panels. U.S. Pat. No. 5,996,292, issued to Hill et al., discloses a perforated shutter system wherein at least one panel is formed of corrugations. U.S. Pat. No. 3,358,408, issued to Cooper et al., discloses an insulated light transmitting panel construction having corrugations in the side edges thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,261, issued to Seaquist, discloses a removable translucent storm shutter consisting of a ½″ thick polycarbonate sheet in an aluminum channel frame. U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,233, issued to Gower, discloses hurricane shutters formed of transparent, double-skinned panels that are strengthened by rods extending through the end channels. The panels are mounted side-by-side to cover the expanse of a window or door being protected. U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,921, issued to Kostrzecha, discloses a storm shutter in the form of a “kit”. The kit includes a plurality of corrugated shatter-resistant and transparent plastic sheets fastened to the structure using a mounting mechanism and fasteners inserted through key-way slots.
While the use of clear plastic panels, such as Polycarbonate panels, provides light transmittance, the use of plastics can substantially reduce structural integrity and impact resistance as plastics are generally not as strong as the metal alloys, such as aluminum or steel, typically used to fabricate storm panels as disclosed in the background art. Accordingly, the clear polycarbonate storm panel structures of the background art must be fabricated to a greater thickness and/or require additional bracing and hardware that complicates installation and increases cost. For example, the '921 patent discloses corrugated polycarbonate storm panels that use stiffening cross bar members. Furthermore, the '233 patent discloses panels that are strengthened by rods extending through channels. Since weather reporting agencies typically allow a mere 24 hours in which to install storm protection installation time is an important factor.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a light transmitting storm panel assembly that avoids the disadvantages present in the storm panels disclosed in the background art.